"Book" Your Flight

 

Some people love to fly.  

Some people are just perfectly happy to read about other people flying.  

Copy describing the books listed below is provided. by the publishers.

The Summer Skies by Colgan, Jenny

New York Times bestselling author Jenny Colgan takes us to the gloriously windswept islands of northern Scotland, where we meet young Morag McGinty, who runs the puddle-jumper flights that serve the islands' tiny but proudly feisty population.

Morag MacIntyre is a Scottish lass from the remote islands that make up the northernmost reaches of the UK. She's also a third-generation pilot, the heir apparent to an island plane service she runs with her grandfather. The islands--over 500 dots of windswept land that reach almost to Norway--rely on their one hardworking prop plane to deliver mail, packages, tourists, medicine, and the occasional sheep. As the keeper of this vital lifeline, Morag is used to landing on pale golden beaches and tiny grass airstrips, whether during great storms or on bright endless summer nights. Up in the blue sky, Morag feels at one with the elements.

Down on the ground is a different matter, though. Her grandfather is considering and Morag wonders if she truly wants to spend the rest of her life in the islands. Her boyfriend Hayden, from flight school, wants Morag to move to Dubai with him, where they'll fly A380s and say goodbye to Scotland's dark winters.

Morag is on the verge of making a huge life change when an unusually bumpy landing during a storm finds her marooned on Inchborn Island. Inchborn is gloriously off-grid, home only to an ancient ruined abbey, a bird-watching station, and a population of one: Gregor, a visiting ornithologist from Glasgow who might have just the right perspective to help Morag pilot her course.

Girls Of Flight City: Inspired by True Events, a novel of WWII, the Royal Air Force, and Texas by Heath, Lorraine

"Inspired by true events, a breathtaking WWII historical novel about the brave American women who trained the British Royal Air Force, by New York Times bestselling author Lorraine Heath. 1941. A talented flier, Jessie Lovelace yearns for a career in aviation. When the civilian flight school in her small Texas town begins to clandestinely train British pilots for the RAF, she fights to become an instructor. But the task isn't without its perils of near-misses and death. Faced with the weight of her responsibilities, she finds solace with a British officer who knows firsthand the heavy price paid in war . . . until he returns to the battles he never truly left behind. Rhonda Monroe might not be skilled in the air but can give a trainee a wild ride in a flight simulator. Fearing little, she dares to jeopardize everything for a forbidden relationship with a charismatic airman... Innocent and fun-loving Kitty Lovelace, Jessie's younger sister, adores dancing with these charming newcomers, realizing too late the risks they pose to her heart. As the war intensifies and America becomes involved, the Girls of Flight City do their part to bring a victorious end to the conflict, pouring all their energy into preparing the young cadets to take to the skies and defeat the dangers that await. And lives from both sides of the Atlantic will be forever changed by love and loss"--. Provided by publisher.

Cloudmaker by Brooks, Malcolm

"In 1937 Montana, fourteen-year-old Houston "Huck" Finn finds a dead body in a local creek and steals the man's rare Lindbergh flight watch. Huck is an aspiring aviator, working to build his own airplane-a secret he has kept from his God-fearing mother. His cousin, Annelise, arrives from Los Angeles for a long stay with his family, and Huck is initially wary until he learns she has had flight lessons. As his airplane takes shape, and the young cousins avidly follow Amelia Earhart's voyage around the equator, so too does Huck's understanding of the world and his place in it-in particular the tension between heaven and earth, age and youth, tradition and the coming future, that stresses the bonds of both his and Annelise's families. And then there's the matter of the watch, which it turns out the dead man's cohort of gangsters would very much like back."--. Provided by publisher.

The Good Pilot Peter Woodhouse: a novel by McCall Smith, Alexander

"From the beloved and best-selling author of the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series and La's Orchestra Saves the World, a heartwarming tale of hope and friendship set during World War II, in which a British farm girl, an American pilot, and a German soldier are brought together by an unlikely hero: a (very cute) border collie. Val Eliot, a land girl working on an English farm during the war, finds herself in charge of protecting a rescued border collie named Peter Woodhouse from the owner who mistreated him. When Val meets Mike, an American Air Force pilot stationed nearby, she realizes that the safest place for the little dog is alongside Mike at the base. With the love and attention of the pilots, Peter Woodhouse becomes Dog First Class, the mascot of the U.S. Air Force, boldly accompanying the officers on their missions--until a disaster jeopardizes the future of them all. It is then that Peter Woodhouse brings Ubi, a German corporal, into their orbit, sparking a friendship that comes at great risk, but carries the richest of rewards"-- Provided by publisher.

Eighty Days by Esguerra, A.C.

"A pilot wants nothing more than to fly. Or so he thought, until he crosses paths with a mysterious thief whose tricks draw him into unchartered territory and new adventure. In a life where the truth changes as quickly as clouds in the sky, the pilot must decide for himself what freedom really means."--. Provided by publisher

The Flight Girls by Salazar, Noelle

Signing up to train military pilots in Hawaii when World War II breaks out in Europe, Audrey Coltrain joins the Women Airforce Service Pilots program after the bombing of Pearl Harbor and bonds with her fellow pilots to find hope and strength in the face of war.

The Layover by Waldon, Lacie

After ten years as a flight attendant, Ava Greene's got one trip left before she bids her old life farewell, and she plans to enjoy every second of it. But then she discovers that former pilot Jack Stone is on her flight. And he has the nerve to flirt with her, as if he doesn't remember the role he played in the most humiliating night of her life. Good thing she never has to see him again after they land. But when their plane encounters mechanical problems, what should have been a quick stop at Belize airport suddenly becomes a weekend layover. The more time Ava spends with Jack under the hot Caribbean sun, the more she begins to second-guess everything she thought she knew about him.

The Great Stewardess Rebellion: How Women Launched a Workplace Rebellion at 30,000 feet by McShane Wulfhart, Nell

It was the Golden Age of Travel, and everyone wanted in. As flying boomed in the 1960s, women from across the United States applied for jobs as stewardesses. They were drawn to the promise of glamorous jet-setting, the chance to see the world, and an alternative to traditional occupations like homemaking, nursing, and teaching.

But as the number of "stews" grew, so did their suspicion that the job was not as picture-perfect as the ads would have them believe. "Sky girls" had to adhere to strict weight limits at all times; gain a few extra pounds and they'd be suspended from work. They couldn't marry or have children; their makeup, hair, and teeth had to be just so. Girdles were mandatory while stewardesses were on the clock. And, most important, stewardesses had to resign at 32.

Eventually the stewardesses began to push back and it's thanks to their trailblazing efforts in part that working women have gotten closer to workplace equality today. Nell McShane Wulfhart crafts a rousing narrative of female empowerment, the paradigm-shifting '60s and '70s, the labor movement, and the cadre of gutsy women who fought for their rights--and won.

Cleared For Takeoff: A Pilot's s\Story of Challenges and Triumphs by Norwood, William

Author William "Bill" Norwood, a retired United Airlines captain, was the first African American pilot for United Airlines. He flew the "friendly skies" for 31 years before retiring in 1996. Bill, who was in ROTC at Southern Illinois University, flew the B-52 in the Air Force. His inspiration was his elementary school principal in his small southern Illinois town of Centralia, who was a pilot with the Tuskegee Airmen in World War II.

Flying Blind: The 737 MAX Tragedy and the Fall of Boeing by Robison, Peter

"A fast-paced look at the corporate dysfunction--the ruthless cost-cutting, toxic workplaces, and cutthroat management--that contributed to one of the worst tragedies in modern aviation Boeing is a century-old titan of American industry. The largest exporter in the US, it played a central role in the early days of commercial flight, World War II bombing missions, and moon landings. It remains a linchpin in the awesome routine of air travel today. But the two crashes of its 737 MAX 8, in 2018 and 2019, exposed a shocking pattern of malfeasance, leading to the biggest crisis in the company's history. How did things go so horribly wrong at Boeing? Flying Blind is the definitive exposé of a corporate scandal that has transfixed the world. It reveals how a broken corporate culture paved the way for disaster, losses that were altogether avoidable. Drawing from aviation insiders, as well as exclusive interviews with senior Boeing staff, past and present, it shows how in its race to beat Airbus, Boeing skimped on testing, outsourced critical software to unreliable third-parties, and convinced regulators to put planes into service without properly equipping pilots to fly them. In the chill that it cast over its workplace, it offers a parable for a corporate America that puts the interests of shareholders over customers, employees, and communities. This is a searing account of how a once-iconic company fell prey to a win-at-all-costs mentality, destabilizing an industry and needlessly sacrificing 350 lives"--. Provided by publisher.

Damn Lucky: One Man's Courage During the Bloodiest Military Campaign in Aviation History by Maurer, Kevin

"The incredible true story of John "Lucky" Luckadoo, who survived 25 missions as a B-17 Flying Fortress pilot in WWII. When Second Lieutenant John "Lucky" Luckadoo-a wide-eyed 21-year-old assigned to the Eighth Air Force's 100th Bomb Group-arrived in England, "Axis Sally," an American broadcaster employed by Nazi Germany to disseminate propaganda during World War II, welcomed his squadron by name. "This isn't your war," she told them. "You don't have any business being here, but as long as you're here we're going to teach you a lesson." And they did. Kevin Maurer's Damn Lucky tells the true story of "Lucky" Luckadoo who flew some of the deadliest missions of World War II during the bloodiest military campaign in aviation history. Lucky served with the 100th Bomber Group during the early days of the bombing of France and Germany from England. His story starts with his quest to join the Royal Air Force with his best friend before the war, through 25 missions in combat over Germany to the one mission-a raid over Bremen-where Luckadoo felt like his luck had run out. The statistical chances for a heavy Bomber crew in Europe to be lost on a mission were 1-in-10. At a 25-mission tour of duty, statistically, once a flyer made it to 10 missions they were literally on borrowed time. Anyone who served a full tour and survived was remarkably lucky. Drawn from Lucky's firsthand accounts, acclaimed war correspondent and bestselling author Kevin Maurer delves into this extraordinary tale, uncovering astonishing accounts of bravery during an epic clash in the skies over Nazi Germany"--. Provided by publisher.

Jet Girl : My Life in War, Peace, and the Cockpit of the World's Most Lethal Aircraft, the F/A-18 Super Hornet by Johnson, Caroline

"A fresh, unique insider's view of what it's like to be a woman aviator in today's US Navy--from pedicures to parachutes. Caroline Johnson was an unlikely aviation candidate. A tall blonde debutante from Colorado, she could have just as easily gone into fashion or filmmaking, and yet she went on to become an F/A-18 Super Hornet Weapons System Officer. She was one of the first women to fly a combat mission over Iraq since 2011, and she was the first woman to drop bombs on ISIS. Jet Girl tells the remarkable story of the women fighting at the forefront in a military system that allows them to reach the highest peaks, and yet is in many respects still a fraternity. Johnson offers an insider's view on the fascinating, thrilling, dangerous and, at times, glamorous world of being a naval aviator. This is a coming-of age story about a young college-aged girl who draws strength from a tight knit group of friends, called the Jet Girls, and struggles with all the ordinary problems of life: love, work, catty housewives, father figures, make-up, wardrobe, not to mention being put into harm's way daily with terrorist groups such as ISIS and world powers such as Russia and Iran. Some of the most memorable parts of the book are about real life in training, in the air and in combat--how do you deal with having to pee in a cockpit the size of a bumper car going 900 miles an hour? Not just a memoir, this book also aims to change the conversation and to inspire and attract the next generation of men and women who are tempted to explore a life of adventure and service." --Provided by publisher.